Mother-Daughter Duo Charged For Allegedly Performing Illegal Butt Implant Procedure That Killed Woman

A Los Angeles mother-daughter duo has been charged in connection with allegedly performing unauthorized butt implant surgery that resulted in a woman’s death.

On Monday, Libby Adame, 51, and Alicia Galaz, 23, accused of performing illegal surgery on Karissa Rajpaul, 26, were charged with murder after their arrest on Aug. 5, 2021, reported KCAL9.

Rajpaul died on Oct. 15, 2019, after undergoing the unauthorized butt implant procedure. She was last seen posting a video on social media of the said operation. The video is now part of the police investigation.

Police said Adame and Galaz allegedly presented themselves as experts during the procedure and injected the victim with substances that should only be administered by qualified cosmetic surgeons. However, they reportedly combined the substance with dangerous chemicals.

"They were mixing them with chemicals and other substances that clearly are not appropriate for any medical procedure that would be performed on a human," LAPD Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton told ABC7. "These individuals have no medical training. They're not experienced and they're putting people's lives at risk," Hamilton said.

According to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner's Office, Rajpaul died at the hospital on the same day of the procedure.

Rajpaul’s cause of death was listed as a homicide due to acute cardiopulmonary dysfunction and intramuscular/intravascular silicone injections.

The victim, who is from South Africa, had moved to Los Angeles with the intention of joining the adult film industry, said police.

Investigators are urging other possible victims of the mother-daughter tandem to come forward. Other victims who have suffered from long-term health issues after having a cosmetic procedure done to them by the suspects have also been contacted.

Adame posted a bail of $1 million and was released the day after her arrest. A court date has not been scheduled for her case.

Galaz was released two days after her arrest as she also posted bond. She is scheduled to make her first court appearance on Dec. 8.

Butt implant surgeries can be dangerous and should not be performed by unqualified physicians.

"If fat is injected deep into muscle tissue and lower down on the buttocks, there is a risk of incorrectly injecting fat into large veins,” said Dr. Bryan Mayou, a member of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons to the BBC.

"The fat, now an embolus, can pass around the bloodstream, into the lungs and cause death," Mayou explained.